(Colorado Springs, Colorado) - A $1 million donation pledge to the American Numismatic Association has been made by well-known rare coin collector, dealer and exhibitor, Steven L. Contursi, President of Rare Coin Wholesalers, Dana Point, California. It’s the largest financial pledge in the Association’s 116-year history, and the funds will be used to launch new ANA museum programs.

“Steve Contursi has been a strong supporter of the Association, generously donating money and loaning some of America’s most important coins to be exhibited at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum and at the ANA’s annual spring and summer conventions,” said ANA Executive Director Chris Cipoletti. “This unprecedented new financial commitment from Steve will help the ANA continue to fulfill its education mandate, and iscrucial to the Association’s expansion plans to create a national numismatic experience.”

“I believe in the ANA, and I support the excellent plans to enlarge the museum in Colorado and add museum facilities at the Old San Francisco Mint and in Washington, DC. These are important goals for numismatics. I encourage others to support them, too,” said Contursi.

Contursi’s generous pledge is the first major commitment in support of the ANA capital campaign, through which the ANA hopes to raise $40 million: $21 million over the next two years to fund construction of museums in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.; $4 million to expand and renovate the Colorado Springs facility; and $15 million to cover operating expenses and new programs for the first five years of the three facilities.

The pledge by Rare Coin Wholesalers to the ANA totals $1,010,000, and began with a $50,000 donation to the ANA San Francisco museum project. Monthly donations of $10,000 will be made for the next eight years under the agreement with the ANA.

To recognize this historic and momentous donation and their strategic partnership with the Association, the main gallery at ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs will be named in honor of the President and Executive Director of Rare Coin Wholesalers: The Steven L. Contursi and David Todd Griffiths Gallery.

In recent years, Contursi has loaned to the ANA the finest known and unique specimen 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar believed by many to be the first one struck by the United States Mint, and the first gold coin struck for the United States, the unique hallmarkon- eagle’s-breast 1787 Brasher Doubloon. He paid for creation of custom-made display cases for their marquee exhibitions in the ANA museum and at the annual National Money Show and World’s Fair of Money conventions.

Contursi also underwrote a two-years-for-the-price-of-one ANA membership recruitment program that resulted in over 1,000 new members.

Announcement of the donation pledge is scheduled to be made during the ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, during the opening of the ANA World’s Fair of Money® convention in Milwaukee.

The American Numismatic Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. With 32,000 members, the Association serves the academic community, collectors and the general public with an interest in numismatics. The ANA helps all people discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of programs including its education and outreach, museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information about the ANA, call (719) 632-2646 or visit www.money.org.